New Delhi, Aug. 16: India’s ambassador-designate to Washington Ronen Sen has requested for a new deputy to replace Rakesh Sood, who has barely completed six months in the mission.

Although Sen’s move seemed to be widely known in South Block, there has not been any official statement from the foreign ministry so far about the proposed change.

Sood was India’s ambassador in Geneva in charge of disarmament and related issues. In recognition of his performance, he was posted to Washington on March 4 this year. But with relations between Sood and Sen far from cordial, the ambassador-designate, who was chosen by the UPA government as ambassador to the US in June, seems to have made it clear he wants a deputy of his choice.

Both are widely recognised as brilliant foreign service officers. However, sources in the ministry said Sen has reservations about Sood’s “independent” style of functioning.

Those who have worked with Sen describe him as one who does not believe in delegating work. “There is no number two or number three in his team. He is a one-man team,” said an official.

Sources said Sen might have his sights set on Raminder Singh Jassal, a former spokesman of the foreign ministry and currently India’s ambassador in Israel. Jassal has not only worked closely with Sen when both were in Moscow, but over the years has also built a good rapport with him.

“This is clearly a case of a politically appointed ambassador showing his clout with the new dispensation. The number two in Washington is a senior officer with ambassador’s rank. He is not a Class IV employee who can be transferred at the whims of his boss,” said a senior diplomat.

Insiders rationalise the move by saying that in a mission as important as the one in Washington, it is not only important for the ambassador and his deputy to have good relations but also to work closely to implement the government’s policies. When both are independent players, they say, it is a recipe for disaster.

There are no clear indications about when relations between Sen and Sood started to sour. But sources said some years ago, when Sen was the ambassador in Germany, Sood landed up to assist then national security adviser Brajesh Mishra, who was to deliver a lecture at the Munich Security Conference. Sen apparently was not too pleased with his unilateral decision to come to Germany without consulting him. Sections in South Block felt that Sood, who was close to Mishra, wanted to flaunt his political clout.

While Sen might use all his influence with the government to see Sood’s back, the government seems to be caught in a bind as to how it would remove him without offering an equally significant post.